ENGLAND

Ben Foden – 6/10 Failure to find touch from his mark led to Wales's try. Counterattacked to some effect, but lacked awareness outside him at crucial moments..

Chris Ashton – 6 Struggled to get involved. Scented the line in the first-half, but he and his opposite number, Alex Cuthbert, may as well have been sitting in the front row of the stand.

Manu Tuilagi – 7 Added thrust to the midfield, denied a try in the first-half by Sam Warburton, but at times lacked understanding with those inside him. The midfield potential is there for England.

Brad Barritt – 8 Very little gets past him in the England midfield. Not the footballing 12 Stuart Lancaster had envisaged or promised, but he helped render Rhys Priestland ineffective.

David Strettle – 7 Saved England in the opening minutes with an ankle-tap on George North and nearly drew the game in the final minute. More involved than he had been in the previous two games combined.

Owen Farrell – 8 More effective as a distributor and kicker than as a runner. Wasted an invitation to dummy five metres out in the opening half and needs to instil more doubt in defences, but goal-kicking impeccableooking increasingly assured.

Lee Dickson – 7 Looked to raise the pace of the game as England grew in confidence and his substitution on the hour looked like a preordained call. It did not work and England paid for it.

Alex Corbisiero – 6 Tackled North into touch to thwart an early Wales attack and getting into the Gethin Jenkins mould in the loose.

Dylan Hartley – 6 Warren Gatland did not wind him up this year and he kept his composure as the temperature rose. Lineout throwing faultless, but England's scrum was less effective.

Dan Cole – 6 Conceded two early penalties, only one of which was converted. England still use him as a go-to forward from slow ball, which he takes standing still to lose a few metres. He's better than that.

Mouritz Botha – 7 One of those players who does the plug-ugly work, slowing the opposition ball down and clearing out on his own ball. Provided another Saracens charge-down, but did not enjoy Charlie Hodgson's luck of the bounce.